The Reciprocity Rule

Jeremy Paxman cannot understand why a �middle-aged blonde’ he encounters outside the Met Office in Bracknell says �Ooh, isn’t it cold?’, and he puts this irrational behaviour down to a distinctively English �capacity for infinite surprise at the weather’. In fact, �Ooh, isn’t it cold?’ – like �Nice day, isn’t it?’ and all the others – is English code for �I’d like to talk to you – will you talk to me?’, or, if you like, simply another way of saying �hello’. The hapless female was just trying to strike up a conversation with Mr Paxman. Not necessarily a long conversation – just a mutual acknowledgement, an exchange of greetings. Under the rules of weather-speak, all he was required to say was �Mm, yes, isn’t it?’ or some other equally meaningless ritual response, which is code for �Yes, I’ll talk to you/greet you’. By failing to respond at all, Paxman committed a minor breach of etiquette, effectively conveying the rather discourteous message �No, I will not exchange greetings with you’. (This was not a serious transgression, however, as the rules of privacy and reserve override those of sociability: talking to strangers is never compulsory.)

We used to have another option, at least for some social situations, but the �How do you do?’ greeting (to which the apparently ludicrous correct response is to repeat the question back �How do you do?’) is now regarded by many as somewhat archaic, and is no longer the universal standard greeting. The �Nice day, isn’t it?’ exchange must, however, be understood in the same light, and not taken literally: �How do you do?’ is not a real question about health or well-being, and �Nice day, isn’t it?’ is not a real question about the weather.

Comments about the weather are phrased as questions (or with an interrogative intonation) because they require a response – but the reciprocity is the point, not the content. Any interrogative remark on the weather will do to initiate the process, and any mumbled confirmation (or even near-repetition, as in �Yes, isn’t it?’) will do as a response. English weather-speak rituals often sound rather like a kind of catechism, or the exchanges between priest and congregation in a church: �Lord, have mercy upon us’, �Christ, have mercy upon us’; �Cold, isn’t it?’, �Yes, isn’t it?’, and so on.

It is not always quite that obvious, but all English weather conversations have a distinctive structure, an unmistakable rhythmic pattern, which to an anthropologist marks them out instantly as �ritual’. There is a clear sense that these are �choreographed’ exchanges, conducted according to unwritten but tacitly accepted rules.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-06